


Strangers in a Crowded Place

by Brightest_Moonstone



Series: they're playing our song... [1]
Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Includes Art, Makeouts, Mistaken Identity, trashfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 16:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11763390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brightest_Moonstone/pseuds/Brightest_Moonstone
Summary: Sly had stopped hearing his friend. He’d caught sight of a vixen across the room. Wearing a tight yellow cocktail dress and matching gloves. As if sensing his regard she turned toward him, Sly had to steady himself against the bar as their eyes met.“Sorry Bentley.” He muttered pocketing the earpiece and crossing the room.





	Strangers in a Crowded Place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mayurei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayurei/gifts).



> Inspired by 'PARALYSER' by Finger Eleven  
> I am Sly/Carmelita trash  
> I apologise for nothing  
> Check out Mayurei's gorgeous art  
> [Here](https://mayurei.tumblr.com/post/164033138004/belldandy-goddessofthepresent-recently)

“Stop squirming Carm.” Viola chided as she finished pinning up her friend’s hair.

Carmelita swatted at the other woman’s hands, “remind me again how I let you talk me into this?”

Viola, a petite grey mouse with bright blue eyes, batted her lashes, “because you’re my dearest friend in the world and you love me?”

Carmelita let out a long-suffering sigh and leaned away as her friend approached with a long red wig. “No Vi.”

“Now don’t you take that tone with me. Tonight you are not Inspector Fox of Interpol; tonight you are a mysterious and ravishing stranger.”

“Vi…” Carmelita narrowed her eyes.

“Uh-uh up, up, up.” Viola shushed her. “That’s something Inspector Fox would say.” She said helping her friend put on the wig. 

“I haven’t said anything yet.” Carmelita protested.

“Yes but whatever it was, it was something an Inspector of Interpol would say. C’mon Carm please? It’s my hen’s night; this is our last chance to have a big, crazy girl’s night out.” Viola flicked out her own wig. “How do I look as a blonde?”

“Different.” Carmelita said simply, adjusting the wig so the fringe sat more comfortably.

“Ooh you look amazing.” Viola gushed. “Oh don’t give me such a grumpy face. Think of it like going undercover for a case.”

Carmelita sighed again, standing from her chair. “You know what, you’re right. This is your night and we’re going to have a good time.”

Viola let out a delighted squeal as she hugged her friend around the middle. “Oh Carm you’re the best. Now remember you promised you’d stay the whole night right?”

“Yes Vi. My work phone is at home. I am all yours.”

Viola clapped excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “This is going to be so much fun. Let’s go meet the other girls.”

Carmelita linked arms with her friend, “lead the way.”  


* * *

Sly was not impressed with this club, too loud, too pretentious even for Paris. Even if the owner wasn’t using the place to launder money from his black market art ring Sly suspected it wouldn’t last two weeks.

“Okay Sly what I’m going to need you to do first is…” Bentley was chattering away in his earpiece giving him instructions about his recon job but Sly had stopped hearing his friend.  
He’d caught sight of a vixen across the room. A redhead wearing a tight yellow cocktail dress and matching gloves. As if sensing his regard she turned toward him, Sly had to steady himself against the bar as their eyes met.  
“Sorry Bentley.” He muttered pocketing the earpiece and crossing the room.

Her gaze tracked his approach; Sly felt a distinct thrill, appraised by those bright, brown eyes. He’d already decided on his disguise earlier in the evening and tonight (despite Bentley’s protests) he was an Italian playboy.  
“Buonasera signorina.”  


* * *

  
  
Carmelita lifted a brow as the (admittedly gorgeous) raccoon addressed her (in what was clearly a fake and terrible Italian accent).  
Well if that was the game he wanted to play, “bonsoir monsieur.” She purred careful to cover up any trace of her usual accent.

“So tell me, do you come here often?”

“No it is my first time.”

“Mine too. Might I buy you a drink?”

Now Carmelita might not allow herself into a situation where she ended up being hit on by a smooth talking raccoon but she wasn’t being Carmelita tonight.  
“Only if you will dance with me after.”

Her raccoon grinned at that so genuinely and so brightly for a second the whole club seemed to light up.  
She felt her heart jump at the sight, “your name monsieur?” She asked offering her hand.

“Silvestra.” Her raccoon said kissing her fingers. “And yours?”

“Carme… Carmen.” She caught herself, “uh Carmen Cooper.”  
She wondered if she was imagining his breathing quicken and his pupils dilate.

“Cooper?” He echoed. “I’ve never met a fox called Cooper before.”

“Oh?” She fiddled with the ends of her wig, wondering if she’d over played her hand. “It is a very common name.”

“Indeed.” He slid up to her, winding an arm around her waist. “Shall we dance signorina?”

“By all means, take me.”

Even in the darkness, she could see his adam’s apple bob as his breath hitched in his throat, “with pleasure.” He answered finally.

Carmelita felt a rush of heat in response that had nothing to do with the crowded room or the cocktails she’d drunk. She put a hand in his and tugged him toward the dancefloor.  


* * *

  
  
Sly wondered if at some point in the last twenty-four hours he’d died and just managed not to notice. Because surely the only explanation for tonight was that he was in heaven, or perhaps some very special level of hell. Where did gentlemen thieves go when they died? He wondered.

His vixen as it turned out was an incredible dancer and not shy about where he could put his hands (not that he’d dare, he’d been raised with better manners than that). Carmen spun in against him, her body flush against his and shimmied. Sly felt his blood pounding through him almost painfully in response. No, he amended silently, he wasn’t dead. He couldn’t possibly be, because this woman was going to kill him.

The beat changed and she rolled her hips against his, Sly saw stars. By the time he was able to focus again he realised Carmen was talking to him, well at least her lips were moving any words lost to the pounding music. He bent his head closer and she pressed her mouth against his ear,

“You know you never bought me that drink.”  
Then as she pulled away, he felt the nip of her teeth. His blood rushed to his groin so fast he felt light headed. He grabbed her arm, 

“We are getting out of here, right now.”

She shook her head. “I can’t, I’m sorry I promised my friend I would stay…” She glanced up at him through her lashes, “but you can take me upstairs.”

There were a number of couches and darkened alcoves upstairs, he nearly tripped over his own tail in his eagerness to pull her off the dancefloor.  
She laughed and tugged him to her kissing him. It was like being struck by lightning. He felt the heat of it crackle through him, felt his heart all but stop from the shock of it, felt the lingering buzzing in his fingertips. Sly groaned puting a hand in the small of her back to keep her against him. She tasted warm, sweet. She was intoxicating. For a moment he forgot they were in a crowded club, forgot he was meant to be here on a job, forgot everything beyondthe sensation of her in his arms.

“Up… upstairs?” He gasped pulling back, if just a kiss could do that to him then surely he would die before the night was out.

“Upstairs,” was her breathless answer.  


* * *

  
Carmelita’s back hit the wall. She gripped two fistfuls of Silvestra’s shirt and ground her hips against his. He made the most gratifying choked noise and dropped his forehead to her shoulder panting,  
“You’re going to kill me woman.”

She noticed he’d dropped the terrible fake accent and laughed again pulling him back into a kiss. “You’re strong I think.” She said sliding a hand between them. “You’ll survive.”

He moaned, hips jerking involuntarily, “please I…”

She then gripped his hair with her free hand and pulled, ever so slightly. “You’ll endure.”

His mouth crashed back against hers. He released his bruise strong grip on her waist to grab her thighs and lift her up.  
His lips moved across her jaw and down her neck, she guided one of his hands over her chest and for second felt him try to pull away.

“No, it’s okay. Touch me.”

He made broken sound.

Carmelita liked a good time but normally that good time didn’t involve semi public dry humping in a dirty club. However she couldn’t deny the thrill of attraction, the almost electric charge between them. She was all but thirty seconds from telling him to kneel and hooking a knee over his shoulder.

“’Lita.” He groaned, one hand gripping her thigh, mouth on her neck. “My ‘Lita.”

Carmelita thrust him away from herself, staring, fur bristling with shock. “What did you call me?”

He paled, eyes huge, “I… I’m sorry.” He started to say, “There’s someone else and you…”

“How did you know?”

“How did I…?”

“Someone else?”

“Carmelita?”

Realisation struck her like a hammer blow. “Cooper?” She asked very quietly. She’d been kissing Sly Cooper, she’d had Cooper’s hands on her… Cooper’s hard on between her legs. She clapped a hand over her mouth and watched a blush track it’s way up Cooper’s neck to his hairline. Clearly his mind was moving along the same tracks as hers. She ran a hand over her face (probably destroying what was left of her makeup but at this point she DID. NOT. CARE.) and bit back a scream.

“Uhh… are you okay?” Cooper asked.

Was she okay? This was Russia, this was India all over again but worse!

“So umm… should I be running?” Cooper jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Or…?”

“It is incredibly lucky for you Ringtail that I am off-duty. So you have ten seconds to get out of this club and out of my sight and we will forget this ever happened.” She said, laying a hand over her eyes.  


* * *

  
  
Really, Sly thought he should have seen it at once, because who else had ever made him as excited as Carmelita did?  
And who would have guessed that Carmelita had all of _that_ in her?  


She was waiting for him to run but he had always prided himself on being unpredictable. She’d said it herself, she was off-duty (there was no way she was hiding her shock pistol in that dress) and he’d done nothing illegal tonight, yet.  


She’d given her name as his, and oh if that didn’t stoke his ego. Surely that meant that he’d been on her mind that she wanted to be his. He was burning with the wanting of her, oh, oh how he wanted. Well he was a thief after all, he was used to taking what he wanted.

“Carmelita,” he murmured coming back toward her.

“Cooper, I am warning you.”

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. She melted against him, moaning and Sly felt a corresponding rush of blood.

“’Lita. ‘Lita, my ‘Lita” He gasped between kisses.

She muttered something in response and his Spanish was poor but he was sure it was filthy. She fisted a hand in his hair, the other clutching an iron grip on the collar of his jacket. He lifted her again and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Sly was going to immolate, go up in flames right here…  


* * *

  
  
“Carm?” A voice called. “Carm are you up here?”

Carmelita tore herself away from Cooper, untangling her legs from his waist and shoving his face away despite his groans of protest.  
“Vi?” She called back, “is everything alright?” She rushed over to her friend, catching both of Viola’s hands in her own.

“Lenore isn’t feeling too good so we’re going to head off and… oh!” Viola caught sight of Sly lingering behind Carmelita. “Am I interrupting something?” She asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

Carmelita’s shoulders tightened. “No.” She said firmly.

Viola’s gaze darted between Sly and her friend, “well okay then. I’ll let you say goodbye. Meet us by the door?” She said dropping Carmelita’s hands.

“I’ll be right there.” Carmelita promised.

“Time for a fond farewell Inspector?” Cooper was trying for his usual cocksure nonchalance but Carmelita could hear the strain in his voice.

Carmelita attempted to adjust her wig and dress back into some semblance of respectability. “You ever mention this again Cooper and I’ll…”

“Let me guess, you’ll lock me up and throw away the key?”

“Oh no.” Carmelita said coldly, “there’ll be nothing to arrest because I will have killed you and dropped your body in the Seine.” She poked him in the chest for emphasis.

Sly swallowed, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Carmelita nodded shortly then spun on her heel and stalked away, tail lashing.  


* * *

  
  
Sly watched her go with mixed feelings.  


On one hand going after her would be a grand and unexpected gesture.  


On the other hand, he enjoyed breathing and not hanging out on the bottom of a river.  


With a melancholy sort of smile he slipped his earpiece back in, spent the next several minutes soothing a squawking Bentley (‘I thought you were DEAD Sly!’) and let the job settle back over him.  


He was a thief, he had some stealing to do.  


* * *

“Sooo… did you have fun?” Viola asked, wiping away her makeup.

Carmelita was shaking her hair free, gently massaging her scalp. “I… did.” She said finally, “and you?”

“Oh absolutely, I can’t wait to show Jacques the photos. It was just a shame we had to cut the night short and you had to leave your mysterious new friend.”

Carmelita recognised her friend’s tone… she wanted gossip. She let a small smile curl at her lips, “how long have you known me Vi? I don’t kiss and tell.”

Viola squealed as she had so often when they were girls, “did you get his number?”

“No.” Carmelita said, trying to fix her panda eyes.

“Oh.” Viola pouted. “I thought you might have plans to see him again.”

“No I am definitely going to see him again.” Carmelita replied. “You can bet on that.”

Except next time, there would not be kissing involved.

**Author's Note:**

> And if you're wondering what happened after  
> [Part One](https://mayurei.tumblr.com/post/164170801474/the-aftermath-part-oneof-many-inspired-by)
> 
>  
> 
> [Part Two](https://mayurei.tumblr.com/post/164173535959/the-aftermath-part-twoof-many-stay-tuned-the)
> 
>  
> 
> [Part Three](https://mayurei.tumblr.com/post/164355910104/the-aftermath-part-threeof-many-carmelita)


End file.
